Modifications of the Linux OS and SCOM

It's really a mess to get a running configuration for SCOM and RHEL. There are serveral descriptions
for more or less specific installations. The scope of this document is to provide a generic solution
for a running configuration of RHEL 5 or 6 and SCOM 2012 SP1. Relax and enjoy!

If you are unfamilar with the Linux Operating System please fetch a Linux guy first. He or she will be very helpful during
the troubleshooting process!

To fulfill the prerequisites on Linux I've provide a small and simple bash shell script which doing all the stuff. The script
name is "prepare4scom" and I guess there are some improvements possible but now it does what it should.
Here it is:

Save the script to the system which should be monitored and change the ownership and execute permisions:

chown root:root prepare4scom
chmod 750 prepare4scom

Now execute this script as user "root":

./prepare4scom

After (successful) execution of this script delete it immediately, because the password is coded into the script itself!

Now we've done the whole Linux part for configuration the Linux OS!

I assume that there is a ready to run SCOM 2012 installation. First we have to create a cross-platform resource pool for monitoring UNIX and Linux systems:

Give the resource pool a meaningfull name:
We choose "Resource pool for Linux and UNIX server".

Assign the management server to the resource pool:
Just click "Add".

Choose the management server:
In our environment there are two managmenet server, you may have just one or more. Don't forget to click OK!

Click Next:

Create the resource pool:
Just click on Create to build the resource pool!

Now we've done the resource pool creation part!

Because we have more than one management server as members of a cross-platform resource pool, we have to copy the server
certificates to each member of the resource pool. Doing this we must start the command.com as an aministrator (click right on icon):

Go to the appropriate directory:

cd "%Program Files%\System Center 2012\Operations Manager\Server"

Export certificate on each management server:

scxcertconfig.exe -export <local-hostname>.cert

Import only the foreign certificates on each management server:
The certificates has to be placed on each management server in to the directory "%Program Files%\System Center 2012\Operations Manager\Server"
and then import them to the local cert store.

Next we have to download the current Monitoring Pack for UNIX and Linux from the following website:http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29696
You will be asked to choose the download and we want to have the "System Center 2012 MPs for UNIX and Linux.msi" package.
Feel free to download more files, but these are not necessarry for our installation.

Next step is to execute the msi file. As a result we get a whole bunch of fresh management packs:

Now we are ready to import the wanted management packs using the SCOM console:

Add from disk:

Resolve dependencies (click Yes):

Select MPs to import:

Installation of selected MPs:
Because this is not a really fresh installation we see the blue icons and the gey (inactive) Install button. If
you have truely a fresh installation of the MPs, the icons are green and you are able to choose the Install button!

Now we've done the whole management pack installation part!

Creation of two UNIX/Linux Run As accounts
Now we have to create two SCOM Run As accounts. We follow the documentation: Microsoft System Center Operations Manager -
"Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Management Pack Guide for System Center 2012 - Operations Manager" (RHELMPGuide.doc).
Both accounts are mapped to the single local Linux account which we have created in step 4. by executing the bash shell script.

First we create a non-elevated Run As account:

Give the account a meaningfull display name
We choose "Linux Monitoring Account".

Insert the account credentials
The credentials are the same as in step 4.! Please select "Do not use elevation with this account".